Rhodes Forum 2018 will look at action to ensure new global rules work better for all

The DOC Rhodes Forum 2018 will continue the Rhodes Forum tradition of shining a light on the most pressing problems that face us, with an emphasis on developing solutions that can be implemented in practice.

Multilateralism will be the central theme for the DOC Rhodes Forum 2018. Leading figures from diverse sectors will come together at Rhodes to:

o Consider how multilateralism can and should work in practice;

o Identify those areas of our multipolar world that nations tend to neglect, and

While the Rhodes Forum will run under the slogan “Dialogue of Civilizations for Our Common Future”, the 2018 event will be titled as “Making multilateralism work: Enhancing dialogue on peace, security and development.”. As in previous years, the 2018 Forum will focus on finding applicable solutions to pressing problems through dialogue.

The co-founder of the Forum, ex-Secretary General of Council of Europe Dr Walter Schwimmer said: “In our ever-more fractured and perilous world, it is vital that leading figures from key sectors are able to come together to discuss openly the nature of the opportunities and threats we face today. The DOC Rhodes Forum 2018 offers this much-needed space for dialogue and enables us to form new foundations for collaborative efforts to develop applicable solutions.”

Co-founder of the Forum, Chairman of the DOC Research Institute Dr Vladimir Yakunin said: “The Forum has a long tradition of addressing some of the most contested issues the international community faces. It has always built up a reputation of being able to foresee global changes years before they occur. The Forum has never prioritised any particular ideology, and takes pride in its ability to reflect critically on the broader environment. In 2017, we focused on societies’ increasing role in global policy-making and discussed future scenarios for world development in politics, society and the economy. In 2018, while many will no doubt continue to discuss the existence or extent of a global paradigm shift, we prefer to focus on those tools that are able to ensure that multilateralism – undoubtedly a new reality – has a positive impact and diminish conflicts. We seek to apply a critical assessment and understanding of the past as we analyse the present in our efforts to chart the future.”

Dioncounda Traore, President of Mali 2012-2013 attended the 15th Anniversary Rhodes Forum in 2017. He said: “The Forum allowed me to enrich myself from the exchanges of very high level with the participants of proven expertise. The Rhodes Forum is both a dynamic event and a spirit to be preserved.”

Since 2003, the Rhodes Forum has brought together leaders from the business, academic, diplomatic and political communities, including current and former heads of state and government, to discuss crucial issues facing the world. Throughout its history, its hallmark has been the pioneering spirit, inclusiveness, and moral resilience of its participants in their work to tackle the problems we face.

In 2017, the 15th Anniversary Rhodes Forum focused on possible scenarios for global development in three major areas of human activity: politics, society and business. The Forum had a broader geographic reach than previous years’ Forums. Former heads of states and governments from across the globe in attendance took part in the inaugural Leaders Club Summit meeting – a venue for an informal exchange of opinions and expertise aimed at increasing the role of civic institutions in policy-making. From 2017, the proceedings of the Rhodes Forum are used as the basis for special policy recommendations that are channeled to the United Nations and other official international organisations and NGOs.